Star Wars #17 Cover - Step by Step Part 2 Colors

The cover art for Star Wars #17 - out now from Marvel Comics, Jason Aaron and Leinil Yu.

See how I colored this bad boy!

Flats

The first stage of color is called flats - flatting allows me to choose an area to color at any point throughout the coloring process.

Generally, I hire someone to do this for me - a "flatter".

At this stage I go and adjust the colors to their medium value or imprimatura - I use this as the starting point for the piece. 

At this point I knew what colors I wanted so it was a matter of rendering from here on out.

Initial color rough in

I colored this on my Cintiq 13 HD using Photoshop CS3 after I scanned the original line art.

I use a Pencil to rough in at 100% of color then use lower % to add lighter and darker values.

Next level of rendering, using the pencil tool plus the gradient tool to smooth out anything that looks odd.

Also, use the Gradient tool to break up some of the flatter areas. 

Now it's time to start converting the black lines to colors and to highlights and reflective color - next time!

PART 1 

TD

Emerald City Comicon April 7-10, 2016

Rachel and I will be attending Emerald City again this year.

The official ECCC site -

www.emeraldcitycomicon.com

WHERE/WHEN

Rachel and I will be seated in Artist's Alley Table E-12

We will be at the table at most of the show but I will update via Twitter more exact schedule.

twitter.com/TerryDodsonArt

@TerryDodsonArt

SIGNING

I will be signing books/comics/statues/etc at my table the whole show and for free for the first 10 items. Then $1 a signature after that.

COMMISSION SKETCHES

I will take sketch requests all day Thursday.

I will write down all names however I will be choosing myself who's sketch I'm drawing and if you had a sketch recently I won't be doing you a sketch so I can try to get sketches down for fans who I haven't done sketches for.

ECCC is a VERY busy con so I will only be producing about 5-10 sketches.

Sketches are $400 each for 11 x16, $250 for 9 x12 and $150 for Blank Sketch Covers. 

ORIGINAL ART

I will be selling original art from RED ONE, Star Wars: Princess Leia #, X-Men, Catwoman, Songes/Muse, Avengers, Avenging Spider-Man, The Defenders, Uncanny X-Men, Wonder Woman and selected covers, pinups and sketches including some BRAND NEW covers!

PRINTS/POSTCARDS

I will have a new ECCC print plus SD 2015, Red One, Masquerade, Rose City, Down Under, New York, San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, Paris and Seattle prints and postcards for sale.

SKETCH/BOOKS

I will have my MASQUERADE sketchbook and the RED ONE Book 1 available - 

See you there!

TD

Star Wars #17 Cover - Step by Step Part 1 Line Art

The cover art for Star Wars #17 - out now from Marvel Comics, Jason Aaron and Leinil Yu.

See how we made the Line Art for it!

So Luke piloting the Millennium Falcon - pretty good idea just tricky getting a good two shot of Han and Luke and that's still dynamic for a Marvel Comics cover.

My editors on this were Heather Antos and Jordan White at Marvel and of course the fine folks at Lucasfilm.

Roughs were drawn at 2" x 3" in my sketchbook using Warm Grey Copics then colored in Photoshop CS3.

Initial Rough in with Col Erase Light Blue Pencil...

Pencils drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12 x 18 Bristol Board

Of course, I drew Luke with the Ceremonial Jacket on!

SO... what does the inside of the Millennium Falcon look like?

A look at my desk while drawing this...

Finished Pencils

Detail

Rachel Dodson's inks

Rachel inks over my pencils with a Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable #2 Brush and Higgins Black Magic Ink

Larger than life detail...

Now, scan in and prep in Photoshop...

for the colors...

Next time!

TD

Emerald City Comic Con is next week!

and Rachel and I will be there!

Details to come...

TD

Bats vs Supes!

So here's how the Batman and Superman #50 Midtown Variant Covers look together!

The Original Sketch

Rachel Dodson's inks combined into the final Line Art

Coloring in Photoshop

Before the final merging - the clouds and Supes cape...

The final.

And you can connect them yourself!

See the complete making of the cover art

Superman COLOR

Superman Line Art

Batman COLOR

Batman Line Art !

TD

Batman #50 Variant Cover Step by Step Part 2 Color

Here's a look at how we made the cover to Batman #50 guest starring Supergirl - this time dealing with the colors!

This was done for Midtown Comics and my DC editor was Mark Chiarello!

The book is out in stores now.

Flats

The first stage of color is called flats - flatting allows me to choose an area to color at any point throughout the coloring process.

Generally, I hire someone to do this for me - a "flatter".

At this stage I go and adjust the colors to their medium value or imprimatura - I use this as the starting point for the piece. 

I've already colored the adding Superman cover on the  left so I knew to add some more clouds and to grab some colors from that cover.

Initial color rough in

I colored this on my Cintiq 13 HD using Photoshop CS3 after I scanned the original line art.

I use a Pencil to rough in at 100% of color then use lower % to add lighter and darker values.

Detail

Next level of rendering, using the pencil tool plus the gradient tool to smooth out anything that looks odd.

 Use a Custom "Cloud" brush to rough in the background. Plus the Gradient tool to break up some of the flatter areas. 

Detail

Begin converting Lineart to Color.

Detail

Just about done...

Add some "glow" to the moon and clouds with the Gradient tool.

Here's a detail look at the colored line art.

Final colors.

The Printed cover.

TD

Batman #50 Variant Cover Step by Step Part 1 Lineart

Here's a look at how we made the cover to Batman #50 guest starring Supergirl!

This was done for Midtown Comics and my DC editor was Mark Chiarello!

This is an interesting assignment as it lines up with the Superman #50 Variant so I had to design them to fit together ...

Roughs were drawn at 2 x 3" in my sketchbook using Warm Grey Copics then colored in Photoshop CS3.

Pencils drawn in Light Blue and HB lead on 12 x 18 Bristol Board

I  roughed in while drawing in the Superman Cover at the same time so it lined up correctly and then it was pretty simple to finish up.

Detail

First time for me drawing this Supergirl outfit - lots of double checking...

Not a lot of intermediate steps on this one - really up against the deadline here so just going as fast as we can...

Detail

Rachel inks over my pencils with a Windsor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable #2 Brush and Higgins Black Magic Ink to ink the covers with.

Next - COLORS!

TD

Batman #50 Midtown Variant - also out this week!

Also out this week, Batman #50 Midtown Comics Variant Cover from DC Comics.

And a step by step making of this is coming as well!

TD

Star Wars #17 - out this week

Rachel and I did the cover art for Star Wars #17 - out this week from Marvel Comics.

A detailed step by step making of coming soon!

TD

I love Brussels

And they love comics!

CENTRE BELGE

DE LA

BANDE DESSINEE

TD